THEY are both Taureans who cut through the bull to become legends of British sport.

Andy Murray followed in the footsteps of Fred Perry in more ways than one when he won the US Open and claimed his first Grand Slam.

And similarities between the boy from Dunblane and the political activist’s son from Stockport are uncanny.

While Murray comes from a small, middle class village in central Scotland, Perry was raised in the industrial heartlands of Greater Manchester, the son of Samuel, a cotton spinner and leading light in the Labour movement.

But Perry became so disheartened by the class snobbery associated with British tennis he moved to the USA and became a naturalised citizen in 1938 – and was not truly lauded by the Lawn Tennis Association until they unveiled a statue to him at Wimbledon in 1984, 11 years before his death in Australia at the age of 85.

Perry became the first Brit to win at Wimbledon in 25 years with victory in 1934. After the final he climbed into a bath in the locker room and overheard a senior official talking to the losing finalist, Jack Crawford.

The official said: “Congratulations. This was the day that the best man didn’t win.”

Wimbledon officials reportedly left Perry’s prize, an honorary member’s tie, draped over a chair in the room and went off to present Crawford with a bottle of champagne.

Perry recalled: “I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry. All my paranoia about the old school tie brigade surfaced with a vengeance.”

For his part, Murray also railed against enemies of his ambition, critics who claimed he’d never win a Grand Slam.

Perry was born on May 18, 1909, and Murray on May 15, 1987, and both celebrated their first Grand Slam successes at the US Open.

In fact, Perry won his first Major in the States on September 10, 1933, at Forest Hills – and 79 years later, to the day, Murray would follow suit at Flushing Meadows.

Both men were No.3 seeds in the tournament, they defeated No.2 seeds in five sets in the final and both Crawford and Novak Djokovic were reigning Australian Open champions, with three wins Down Under.

Murray never met Perry but wore his apparel earlier in his career – Perry’s shirts were first worn at Wimbledon in 1952 and he also helped create the world’s first sweatband.

A renowned ladies’ man, he dated Marlene Dietrich and jokingly replied to a request for his “personal terms” before a tournament in Los Angeles to include a date with actress Jean Harlow.

On the way to dinner the night before the tournament was due to start, his car detoured to a mansion in Beverly Hills, where Harlow greeted him. They skipped dinner so she could show him the town and they bounced around Hollywood with Harlow signing all bills to Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Even Murray would agree that it puts the presence of his Hollywood cheerleaders, Sir Sean Connery and Kevin Spacey, in the shade.

Perry was also a world champion in table tennis but it was his legacy in tennis for which he won greatest renown.

In total, Perry won eight Grand Slam events and his US Open victory in 1933 was repeated in ’34 and ’36.

He also won the Australian in 1934 and the French in 1935. But he’s best remembered for three in a row at Wimbledon between 1934 and 1936 – with his success at SW19 in 1936 the last time a British male won tennis’s greatest tournament.

With victory in New York, though, Murray has made glorious headway on his next tilt at history.